


The Final Step

by MorganaNK



Category: Inspector Lynley - All Media Types, Inspector Lynley Mysteries (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-05
Updated: 2017-01-05
Packaged: 2018-09-15 01:36:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9213476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorganaNK/pseuds/MorganaNK
Summary: Tommy has something that he needs to tell Barbara... things don't turn out as he expects them to.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Property of Elizabeth George and the BBC, no copyright infringement intended

Tommy had been abrupt and bad mannered all day. I had wracked my brain, trying to think if it was an anniversary of something with Helen or if I had committed some indiscretion, but there was nothing that immediately sprang to mind. Part of me wanted to tell him to sod off and then storm off, but the rest of me knew that would be the wrong thing to do; however much he was trying to push me away, I knew from experience that that was when he needed me the most. I was his best friend, the only person he opened up to, and even then it could be hard work.

“Sir, do you fancy coming round to mine tonight for a takeaway and a few drinks?”

“Why?”

I bit my tongue to prevent me from being rude; wondering when Tommy and I had swapped bodies, and how he had ever put up with me when I had been the one with the attitude and he had been trying to hold out the hand of friendship.

“Does there have to be a why?”

“According to you.”

“Look Sir, we’ve had a tough few days, and you haven’t been yourself today, so I thought you might like to relax with some food, drinks, and someone to talk to when you felt ready, but if you would rather be on your own then you can forget I asked, go home and drown yourself in the nearest bottle of whiskey. I hope you enjoy your misery!”

I slammed my way out of his office. I hadn’t meant to lose my temper with him, but he was being bloody impossible and I didn’t know how to handle him when he behaved like a petulant child. Again, his behaviour reminded me of how I had been when we had first met, but that didn’t make it any easier to deal with.

“You okay Barb?”

I turned to Winston and forced a smile, “yeah, just had a run in with the DI.”

“Ouch! Do you want to hit the pub? It might take your mind off things.”

“Thanks for the offer Winnie but I can’t, I already have plans.”

“Well, if you’re sure?”

“I am, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I watched him leave, and wondered why the hell I had turned down a pleasant evening with good company. My gaze flickered to Tommy’s office and I sighed; seeing the reason why I had turned down Winston’s offer brooding menacingly at his computer screen. However much of an arse he was currently being, Tommy needed me.

~*~

I knew that I was being a complete bastard to Barbara, but I couldn’t help myself. I was trying to drive her away, because having her hate me was preferable to telling her my news.

I glanced up from my computer screen and was surprised to see her sitting at her desk. When she had slammed out of my office I thought that she would have gone home. To see her sitting there, after the way I had behaved, it broke my heart. Life would be so much easier for both of us if we didn’t care as much as we did.

I sighed, knowing that I would have to go out there and speak to her, and that we would probably end up arguing again, but I couldn’t put it off any longer. I wasn’t being fair, to either of us.

I stood in front of her desk and waited for her to look up at me. When she didn’t I knew that I would have to be the one to make the first move.

“I’m sorry Barbara.”

She snorted and carried on with whatever it was she was doing. “You always are. Doesn’t excuse your behaviour though, does it?”

Her words wounded me; she had always been able to cut me to the quick. I decided to just tell her what I had to and accept the consequences, whatever they might be.

“Mother can’t cope with the demands of Howenstow anymore; I’m going to resign. It’s time for me to go home and run the estate.”

Now she did look at me, “Oh, so that gives you the right to lash out at me, to treat me like something unpleasant that you found on the bottom of your shoe?”

“I was trying to make you hate me.”

She snorted again. “And how is that working out for you?”

I opened my mouth to respond but she beat me to it.

“In all the years we have worked together, in all the years that we have been friends, haven’t you learnt anything about me?”

“I’m sorry?” I was puzzled by Barbara’s behaviour, she definitely wasn’t reacting to my news as I had thought she would. I pulled a chair over to her desk and sat down opposite her.

“So you said, but you haven’t answered my question; haven’t you learnt anything about me?”

“I don’t understand.”

“You know, you’ve never struck me as being an idiot, a bit daft at times, but never an idiot.” Barbara shook her head, “I’ve known all day that you’ve had something on your mind, and I’ve been waiting all day for you to grow a pair and tell me what was bothering you. I may be argumentative and abrupt, but I’m not stupid. You’re the eighth Earl of Asherton, I knew that the day would come when you would have to go back to your family and your responsibilities. I’m sad, but I would never stand in your way.”

“If there was any way this could go differently… you know how much I value you, how much you mean to me.”

Her gaze softened. “My reason for getting up in the morning.”

Her words hit me, and an idea flashed through my mind. It was out of my mouth before I could stop it. “Come with me.”

“And do what exactly, oversee the flower arrangements?” There was her usual sarcasm that I had come to know, and love.

“No, marry me.” My mouth was conspiring against me with my mind, giving voice to thoughts that I had been careful to never share.

“Okay.”

I looked at Barbara in shock. Her answer was one that I had never believed I would be fortunate to hear.

Something in my expression must have worried her, “unless you didn’t mean it.”

I hurried to reassure her. “No, I meant it, I definitely meant it, I just… you will marry me?”

“I thought I’d covered that with okay. Yes Tommy, yes I will marry you and yes I will move to Howenstow with you. Now, can we go for a pint or do you want to debate things further?”

My heart skipped a beat at the sound of my name from her lips. I stood and pulled her into my arms, kissing her passionately. “I love you Barbara.”

“I know. I’ve known for years, in fact ever since the night you stayed at my flat instead of sleeping with Christine Miller, and I’ve loved you for just as long. Back then neither of us were ready to take that final step, or to face up to what being in love with each other meant and involved, but we are now. We need each other.”

I smiled warmly at her, “I’ve been worrying all day about how to tell you, and about how I would cope without seeing you every day.”

“After everything we have been through together, the way we have supported each other, helped each other, there was no way that I would just let you disappear from my life. Other people will never understand our connection, and that’s fine, as long as we do then nothing else matters.”

“I wasn’t sure that you could accept being part of the Lord Asherton side of my life; I’m sorry that I underestimated you.”

“Forgiven. Now let’s get out of here. You owe me a pint and we need to work on our resignation letters to Hillier. I can’t wait to see his face when we tell him we’re leaving and why.”

“You’re a wicked woman Barbara Havers, which is one of the many reasons I love you.”

“You can tell me the others later.”

I pulled her closer so that her body was flush with mine, enjoying her warmth and the feel of her in my arms, “I’d much rather show you.”

“You are incorrigible Thomas Lynley.” Barbara tried to look cross but her sparkling eyes gave her away. 

“Actually, I’m very encourageable, as you will discover.”

“Neither of us is going to discover anything if we don’t get out of here soon.”

“Okay, okay, let me grab my coat and keys and then we’ll find a nice quiet pub to celebrate our engagement.”

~*~

I watched Tommy as he walked back to his office. To anyone else he would have looked the same, but not to me. His whole being had transformed; he was walking taller, and he almost had a spring in his step. I was glad that I had turned down Winston's invitation; it had been the right decision to stay.


End file.
